We'll give you FREE yeast just for trying these flour blends.

Now you can make breads like the pro's . . . and get the yeast free.

Flour makes all the difference in the breads and pastries that you make. Better flours just make better breads.

We've had questions: "What flours do you recommend and where can I get them?"

Commercial bakers have access to dozens of high quality flours that the home baker can't get-until now. Now you can use some of the same flour blends that the pro's use, blended with the proper dough conditioner and ready to go.

Each of these flour blends is especially formulated for the yeast bread that you bake and each has dough conditioner added for maximum performance in your kitchen. These flour blends will give you professional results-lighter, better breads than you have ever had before.

Use these flour blends in your favorite recipes and see what a difference they make. Simply substitute one of these blends for the flour called for in your recipe.

Hi-Country Homemade Blend is especially formulated for traditional white breads.

Hi-Country White Rye Blend is especially formulated for light rye breads and artisan loaves.

Hi-Country Stone Ground Wheat Blend is especially formulated for breads made with whole wheat flour.

Why the yeast? Flour is expensive to ship; yeast is not. By offering free yeast with the flour, we can give you a much better deal.

We have sixteen different kinds of flour on hand. Chances are, you don't need that many. But it's nice to know what kinds of flours work best for your baking. What follows is a primer on the different kinds of flours that are available.

There are so many kinds of flour available. We recommend experimenting until you find the flour that you like best, for pastries or for breads. We suggest sticking with the major brands. We believe that the major processors have access to more and better feedstock grains and that they can hold their flours to a tighter specification so that you will get more uniform results.

Be wary of "bargains". Flours that don't meet commercial specifications (for moisture, ash content, protein, etc.) are often sold in grocery stores. Flour is cheap compared to the other ingredients in the recipe. Use the best, most consistent flours you can get.

The threefold enemy of food is heat, light, and oxygen. Minimize those and your flour will last a long time. Keep your flour in a tightly covered canister. Store it in a cool, dark place.

Stored properly, white flour will last a long time. In Mylar, we say two years. One mill says indefinitely. Another mill says fifteen months but their flour has slowly made its way through the distribution chain to your kitchen and is packaged in paper bags. (We package our mixes in Mylar within 60 days of the milling date.)

Wheat flour will not last as long. Even in Mylar, we believe that wheat flour should be used within a year. That means that those keeping a year supply on hand should religiously rotate their whole wheat flour and whole wheat flour mixes. Again, storage conditions may extend the shelf life.

One final note: If your flour is exposed to the air of a humid kitchen, it will absorb water. If your flour is in a dry kitchen, it will dry out-enough to affect your recipe. That's another good reason to keep your flour in airtight containers.

You will absolutely love this American Rye Bread. Whether you make it from a mix or make it from scratch, it is wonderful. Since it is made with white rye flour, it doesn't have the strong taste or coarse texture that is sometimes associated with rye breads. Even your kids will love this bread.

We have developed a flour blend of white rye flour and premium bread flour with extra gluten and a dough conditioner added that will make terrific rye bread. Substitute it for flour in your favorite recipe. You'll not only enjoy these premium commercial flours mixed in just the right ratio but with the added gluten and dough conditioner, you'll make a lighter, better textured bread.

Check out the American Rye Bread Traditional Mix >>

Or the American Rye Bread Mix for Bread Machines and get free caraway seeds >>

Pick up our Hi- Country Rye Flour Blend with extra gluten and conditioners >>

Or, check out this American Rye Bread Recipe >>

You tried honey crystals; now try molasses crystals. We'll give you a free package of either-about two cups-with your $25 order. Jazz up your snacks or your baking. We especially like the molasses crystals in our rye, oat, or whole wheat bread. It's not too strong and so convenient to use.

With all this bread that you're going to be baking, you'll need another oven mitt. Get one of these mitts free with any order over $25

Everyone needs a great white cake recipe that they can rely on over and over again. Here it is. It's light and tender. It's also straightforward, easy, and almost foolproof. You'll use this recipe often. Consider this as a base and build the dessert of your choice. The recipe makes a single, nine-inch cake. Double it for a layer cake. Frost it or top it as you like-say with whipped cream and fruit for an easy dessert. Use it to make Boston Cream Pie, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, or California Lemon Cake. We'll show you how.

Catch the recipe for Easy Everyday White Cake >>

Catch the Boston Cream Pie Recipe here >>

Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake >>

Catch the California Lemon Cake Recipe >>

The following notes will help you make that perfect bread. At the bottom of this list are special notes for rye breads.

1. Always measure flour correctly. Whisk the flour so that it is not packed and then spoon it into the measure followed by leveling the top with a straightedge. If you measure packed flour either by spooning packed flour into the measure or by scooping the flour from the bag, you will have too much flour. If you have kitchen scales, each cup of flour should weigh about 5.5 ounces.

2. We use instant yeast in all our baking. It is easy, convenient, and nearly foolproof. It is designed to hydrate almost instantly, that is the starch modules that encapsulate the yeast begin to dissolve upon contact with water. To assure the immediate dissolving of these nodules, we mix the water with the 1/3 of the flour and yeast to create a wet slurry and then add the remainder of the flour and other ingredients.

If you are going to be a bread baker, you should know yeast. The following article was taken from "Ingredients and How They Work." You can get a free copy of the entire baking guide for download here >>

Yeast is the magic ingredient of the baking world. It's alive and master bakers have learned to cultivate yeast as a living thing in their bread and pastry doughs. In this section we will explore the different types of yeast and learn how to cultivate yeast in our products to make the best breads.

Our grandparents used-and many commercial bakers still use-fresh yeast rather than the dry yeast that we buy in the store. Fresh yeast performs marvelously well but is fragile, must be kept refrigerated, and used right away-hardly the conditions of today's carefree baking.

Do you test your recipes? Is it important to add the flour or the liquid first? Can I use my bread machine to make a double recipe.

We regularly field questions like these from readers. We decided that if these questions are of general interest, we would like to share the answers with you.